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LIGHTING – BRIGHT IDEAS

The fundamental element for our living spaces, lighting, reflects our mood and enhances the atmosphere; it can raise our spirits and relax our senses.

Where we live and how we live is often dictated by natural light.

Generally North and East facing windows require you to maximize the quality and quantity of daylight.

Therefore make sure the light can get as far in to the room as possible by not having heavy window treatments and make use of mirrors to reflect light around the room.

With South or West facing windows use blinds to diffuse the light and use matt walls and fabric to help absorb the light.

Today’s options for intelligent lighting is a lifetime removed from the humble light bulb and dimmer switch!

Good lighting design isn’t something which “just happens” and should be given as much if not more attention as any other aspect of your home or individual room.

The provision for lighting, its wiring and controls should be planned as early in any development as the core-structure.

It’s no coincidence Majik House works closely with so many leading architects, advising on what’s achievable and helping create their vision and their client’s aspirations.

That said they also work with a number of wireless systems, which eliminate the need for re-wiring a property and redecoration.

Lighting Considerations

All rooms need a variety of lighting:

Ambient or background lighting

Task lighting for close up work

Accent lighting to highlight special features

You can always update a room and improve the atmosphere with good lighting; equally, nothing makes a room feel dated and unwelcoming like bad lighting.

Use of Home Spaces

Lighting is probably the most important aspect of a dining room. It should be subtle, yet sparkling. If there is too much light the atmosphere will be spoilt and people’s complexions will look drained.

Wall lights are a good option with over-table chandeliers and they should have the ability to have the level of light controlled but better still scenes can be set that only require a button press.

One area often neglected is the staircase. Staircases are built around awkward angles so spotlights from the ceiling can create insufficient pools of light and shadows. By installing directional lights at floor level, you avoid this and create a more subtle evenly distributed light.

With more and more homes extending their “living” space into the outside area a seamless flow of light is necessary to make it feel like one extended room. This needs design and control to be at the forefront of the clients mind.

What is Light Control?

Quality lighting is an important aspect of our daily life, and is often taken for granted. Light control is the ability to regulate the level and quality of light in a given space for a specific task or situation –working, relaxing or entertaining.

Controlling light properly not only enhances the experience, it helps save energy by using light when and where it is most needed.

Press a button or Tap a Screen

Wall mounted controls can be programmed and personalized to recall favourite settings and effortlessly transform the light that surrounds you.

All the main manufacturers of lighting control systems along with wall mounted controls have developed their own advanced software which allows your home lighting to be managed by iPhone, iPad and Android devices – LUTRON, RAKO, CONTROL 4

It pays to be Dim…..

While there are many ways to reduce energy use, most involve sacrificing something; few actually enrich the quality of living and working environments like intelligent light controls.

Being able to adjust light levels for ambiance, task, or accent are all options afforded by intelligent controls.

We all know you can save energy by turning lights off when they are not required, but sometimes we forget or don’t notice that we have left them on. Automated systems can incorporate daylight and occupancy sensors, programmed to turn on lights according to changes in light or the time of day, without any input from the user, and automatically turn them off, preventing energy waste.

Did You Know?

Studies suggest that emotions are experienced more intensely under bright lights. So, fictional detectives interrogating suspects under bright, harsh lighting, to get to the truth, may have really been on to something. So if you are buying emotional products, such as flowers or an engagement ring, check to see if the store has their light as bright as possible… Contrary wise, dimming the lights reduces emotionality in everyday decisions.

So when you are to “sleep on it”, or “everything will look different in the harsh light of day” they may be on to something!

It’s perhaps worrying that there are so many factors that can affect your health due to everyday lighting situations, yet it’s exciting that we are starting to understand that there are ways to manipulate your lighting for the better.